Portable folding seat



June 30, 1936.' c. LETTS PORTABLE FOLDING SEAT Filed Nov. 25, 1934 BY Mgg/WWE ATTORNEYS Patented June 30, 1936 UNITED STATES PATENT oFFlcE 2 Claims.

The object of the invention is to provide a portable folding seat particularly adapted for use in connection with the plain plank seats to be found in the low priced admission sections of stadiums,

5 ball parks and the like, so that it may be readily applied to such a plank seat and provide a cushioned seat and yielding back for the user; to provide a seat of the kind indicated which is of simple form. susceptible of cheap manufacture,

10 and of a character that will stand for a large amount of rough usage Without likelihood of having its parts disarranged.

With this object in view the invention consists of a construction and combination of parts, of

15 which a preferred embodiment is illustrated in the accompanying drawing, wherein:

Figure 1 is a side elevational view of a seat constructed in accordance with the invention, the plank or boardl seat to which it is attached being 20 shown in section.

Figure 2 is a top plan view with the iorward end of the cushion broken away.

c Figure 3 is a sectional view on the plane indicated by the line 3--3 of Figure 1.

25 Figure 4 is a sectional view on the plane indicated by the line --Il4 of Figure 2.

The improved seat consists of connected back and seat frames A and B, both of which are preferably constructed from metal rods. The

3o seat frame B is of general U-shaped form with the side legs I at their outer ends bent back on themselves to provide the hook members I I, the extremities of which are interconnected by a cross member I2, the hook members and the connected 35 cross member providing the means for engaging the under side of the plank seat I3 usually found in the low priced admission sections of stadiums, ball parks, and the like.

The cushion I4 is carried by the seat frame but 40 is secured to the latter by appropriate ties I5 so that it'may be readily removed or attached to the seat frame and, when the invention is in use, rests upon the plank seat I3.

The crossmember which serves as the inter- 45 connecting'means for the back and seat frames is constructed from a piece of tubular metal, preferably a pipe I6 in which is provided a filler I'l, preferably a metal rod of the proper diameter to fill the bore of the pipe. The legs I0 are se- 50 cured to the cross member in any appropriate manner as by being inserted diametrically through the pipe i6 and rod I1 and welded thereto, or they may be butt welded to the pipe.

The back frame A has a swinging or hinged connection with the cross member and this is provided by making the rods I8 of which the back is formed with closely related spirals I 9 which encircle the pipe I6. The rods I8 at their upper ends are interconnected with a back member 20, preferably of Wood. An appropriate spacer for 5 the legs I8 is provided in the form of a pipe 2l disposed in surrounding relation to the pipe I 6 of the cross member and this spacer prevents any movement of the legs towards each other, movement away from each other being precluded by 10 pins 22 which are inserted in the cross member diametrically, passing through both the pipe I6 and rod I'I, where they serve as means for rigidly connecting the ller rod I1 and the pipe I6.

In the elevated position of the back, the extremities of the coils I9 bear against the pins 22 and maintain the upright position of the back, so far as movement away from the seat frame is concerned. At the same time, the coils I9 make for resiliency of the back in providing a yielding backward movement of the back frame beyond the point to which it is normally limited by engagement of the pins and the extremities of the coils.

But the pins 22, while preventing movement of the back beyond a certain point away from the seat frame, do not obstruct its movement toward the seat frame, so that when not in use the back may be folded down against the seat.

When not in use and being transported the seat and back frames are in folded relation and the device may be readily carried with spacer member 2l as a handle. This turning freely on the cross member, composed of the pipe I6 and rod Il, provides for tight gripping of the spacer member in the hand of the user and the slight swinging of the device resulting from its being carried, and this without any actual frictional movement in the hands of the person and its attendant annoyance and discomfort.

The spacer member 2| together with the convolutions of the coils I9 take up substantially the entire space between the pins 22, so that the back frame A is thereby retained in its normally centrally disposed position on the cross member, the convolutions next adjacent the pins 22 serving to guide the extremities of the terminal convolutions to abutting position with the pins when the seat is elevated.

The invention having been described, what is claimed as new and useful is:

1. In a seat construction seat and back frames, and a cross member rigidly secured to the seat frame, the back frame having a swinging connection with said cross member, the back frame s comprising spaced rods formed with coils loosely encircling the cross member, pins carried by the Vcross member and abutting the ends of the coils when the back frame is elevated to operative p0-Y sition, and a tubular spacer member disposed in surrounding relation to the cross member and interposed between the rods of the back frame.

2. In a seat construction seat and back frames, a cross member rigidly secured to the seat frame 10 at the rear edge, the back frame having side legs 2,046,198 Vof which the extremities kare coiled around said cross member, radial pins mounted in the cross Y 

